Max takes a stand

Verstappen clear: “My father is not a liar”

Max (l.) and Jos Verstappen(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

While the fuss surrounding Christian Horner and, more recently, Jos Verstappen is not dying down, world champion Max Verstappen has so far stayed out of the discussions. However, the Dutchman has now backed his dad and declared once and for all: "My father is not a liar!"

Background: As part of the allegations against Red Bull team boss Christian Horner (he is said to have sent sex messages to a female employee), Jos Verstappen warned a few days ago that the Bulls would explode if the Briton stayed with the racing team. "The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on like this. He is playing the victim, but he is the one causing the problems," the 52-year-old made clear.

"Only he knows"
His son Max, meanwhile, has remained calm - until now. Because even the three-time world champion is probably getting fed up, as he made clear in a media round during the upcoming Saudi Arabia GP: "Many people speculate as to why my father said certain things - but in the end, only one person knows: he himself. I didn't ask him why. My father is a very open person - and definitely not a liar!"

Serious accusations against Christian Horner(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Verstappen, who is aiming for his second win of the season in Jeddah, hopes that calm will slowly return after all the fuss. "I don't hope that the racing team will explode. Red Bull is a strong company, we are a strong team. I want to have a calm environment and concentrate fully on racing," says the world champion. He nipped the rumors of a change of team that had recently been doing the rounds in the bud: "I have signed until 2028 because it is my intention to stay with Red Bull until then. I know what Red Bull has done for me and I really enjoy it here. There is no reason why I should leave the team." Even if dad Jos and team boss Horner get into each other's hair ...